Five cherry blossom nights
by Leonas
Summary: A simple mission. Seriously it was just a C-rank to spend some time watching a restaurant at night for a few days. Why couldn't it stay so simple?
1. Night 1: A warm welcome

Sakura sat back in her chair. It was a rather plain but comfortable rolling chair. In the middle of a rather cramped and stuffy office. In front of her was a desk that was covered in trash and papers and old trinkets that were probably left behind by the shift before her. Seriously these people were slobs. There was also a very odd looking cupcake with eyes on it… creepy.

The office she was sitting in was the security office of Freddy Fazbear's Ramen Palace. A place that was in a small village in a small country. It was apparently a famous place among the locals, for its food, entertainment in the shape of strange animal shape puppets, and its dark history. Apparently a few murders happened around this place. The management was apparently STILL trying to deny it, but it was talked about everywhere. Strangely enough that didn't stop people from coming by… or apparently breaking in.

Which is why SHE was here. The management decided to stop being cheap and so issued a C-rank mission to Konoha to guard the place at night from midnight to six am. Normally she would scoff at this kind of work, but she COULD be instrumental in stopping a murderer… so when Tsunade had asked her to take it, she took it. Besides if things were as slow as she figured they would be it would give her some time to study a few scrolls Tsunade gave her. After all she was only year two into her apprenticeship. She still had a long way to go to becoming a medic nin of Tsunade's caliber.

She had it all set in her head. She would just relax, keep her power usage in the room low, and check the cameras every ten to fifteen minutes in order to limit the energy drain. THAT was a big thing. Apparently the people were so cheap they couldn't get a good generator for night shifts. She only had a limited amount of power she could use. But that was fine. She was a ninja. Not only that, but she was a medic. Conserving supplies and stretching things out were her forte.

She was just getting settled and about to do her first sweep of the restaurant when the office phone went off… That gave her a jump. Who would be calling her? Before she could even start to pick up the receiver a voice rang out... huh that was interesting.

"Hello, hello? Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night." _Pre-recorded? Very interesting. And very nice of this man._ "Um, I actually worked in that office before you. I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact. So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. Uh, you'll do fine. So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay?" _Okay, though seriously this won't be THAT bad. It seems simple enough_.

"Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, you know." _Of course there is something like this. What was with bigwigs and their legal speeches?_ "Um, "Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Ramen Palace. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person." _Of course they wouldn't be. Figures they would be worried about that. _"Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced." _Wait, what was that last part? Cleaned and bleached? What?_

Blah blah blah, now that might sound bad, I know," _SOUND bad? Wasn't that ACTUALLY bad?_ "but there's really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night," _What?_ "but do I blame them? No. If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for twenty years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too." _Irritable? What do you mean irritable?_ "So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay.

So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh...Something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long. Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was The Bite of '87." _What?_ "Yeah. I-It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?" _WHAT!?_

"Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll p-most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on." _Wait.. did he hesitate just than? On the mostly? Why would he hesitate? And how would they think I was an endoskeleton? What IS an endoskeleton?_ "Now since that's against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, they'll probably try to...forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit." _Ummm okay? that's bad why? Besides being humiliating? _"Um, now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort...and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh." _Of… course. Wait what's animatronic?_

"Y-Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up." _Now why wouldn't they do that?_ "But hey, first day should be a breeze. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night."

Great. Just great. Now only did she have to worry about possibly murderers and punks, but now she had to worry about three killer animal things, that apparently were more than just simple puppets. C-rank her ass! This was at least B-rank… She sighed to herself and rubbed her eyes with her pointer finger and thumb. Oh well. Shouldn't be too hard. Just.. decrease the time between checks to five to ten minutes… and probably no reading the scrolls. Besides how bad could it be? They were pretty big from what she saw, but the place wasn't small. It would take time to get to her office. That is of course if they made it over here. God why didn't she ask more questions during that brief tour? She thought they were just puppets that were controlled backstage. But now it seemed they were… what was that word? Animatronic? And moved on their own? What?

Why was she even taking this seriously? It certainly sounded like something too insane to be real. However she was a ninja. She could read between the lines. This likely happened before… and not just this bite the guy mentioned. Besides in her career and her time with Naruto she had seen some insane things, as well as the seemingly impossible happen. So why couldn't this? After all if a ship could fly without wings, a puppet could move without strings right?

She looked at the clock. Oh crap she missed a few of her sweeps. She quickly lifted the little viewing screen that was for the use of the night watchmen. It was very nice. Like something out of spring country. She first checked the show stage where the three animals were… and froze.

"Where's the rabbit?" She asked out loud and immediately started flipping through camera's until she spotted the purple suited thing in the dining room. It was just standing there… Though it appeared to be looking around. Okay… that was weird. So they really COULD move on their own. She went back over the other camera's just incase, stopping at the show stage seeing that the other two were still there. Than she set the tablet down, the screen turned off as soon as it was laid down on her lap.

So… there was more to this than she had first thought. But she couldn't panic. It was early yet… and despite the clues being told to her saying that the things could and would kill her if they got close… they might not even wonder down here. They could randomly wander around… Yeah. It was probably completely random. That made sense. About as much sense as a company that cleaned up after any possible murders before filling a missing persons report.. as COMPANY POLICY! So THAT was why part of the mission requirements was to see it through for at least a week.

She took a deep breath. No, no don't get too upset. She needed to keep her wits about herself and stay sharp. She took another breath and started doing some chakra exercises. She would need to focus. She didn't have Tsunade's strength technique a hundred percent down yet, but she would be damned if she wasn't at least prepared to force these things back.

After a few minutes she checked the show room… both were still there. The rabbit stayed in the dining area. That was good.

That became the habit. Sakura would do some exercise to stay calm and check the cameras. She stayed around the six seven minute mark. The rabbit puppet certainly seemed content with sticking to the dining area and supply closet, with the occasional visit to the beginning of the hall leading to her office. An hour into her vigil the chicken started roaming too. She seemed to like the restrooms and kitchen. And boy was that chicken loud in that kitchen.

It was two and a half hours in that she had her first close call.

It had been mostly quietly. She had been focusing on drawing on her chakra when she heard it. Quiet footfalls. They were so quiet she could only hear them because she was use to the sound. If they had been ninja she would place them at high genin or low chunin. But the only thing here were the animatronics, and those things were huge and clunky. No way they could be quiet. Than the footsteps stopped outside her door. She reached out and hit the light button. There standing in the doorway, was the rabbit. It was staring right at here. But seemed frozen in place. Quickly but calmly she let go of the light button and pressed the one for the door.

As it thudded into place she checked the cameras. And noticed that the power output was quite high. Seriously? the doors cost POWER? That was why he warned against their use. Alright it was noted. And the chicken was at the beginning of the hall.

She took a breathe set down the screen and look at the window on her left. She waited a few minutes and pressed the button for lights… she saw nothing in the window. She pressed the door button and then lit up the hall again.. nothing. She checked the cameras…

"Okay the rabbit is back in the supply closet, and the chicken…. oh no."

She quickly turned to her right and clicked the light button and almost screened. There was the chicken. Almost right in her office. She shut the door. "Oh god, it's okay. It still might just be a random thing. After all they have no one guiding them, and they seem to go away too. So it shouldn't be a big deal."

The next three and a half hours were a big deal. She shortened her break times between looks to 4 minutes. And she had to close both doors a total of four more times. By the end of the night.. as six am hit, she was down to five percent power, and was a nervous wreck. Those things had been persistent. ESPECIALLY that chicken. That thing seemed to hate leaving the door once it showed up. And the bunny just kept coming. It wouldn't stay for long but of her six total door shuts, he was four of them.

She would have to handle them better. She had to come up with a strategy. When she wasn't in the middle of a cramped room being pincered by two large puppet… animatronic… whatever you call them... animals. Oh god, now that the adrenaline was wearing off she was tired. Later in the afternoon after she woke up she would send a message to her teacher with a report. Let her know what was going on. also she would have to ask around about this bit of '87. That might be important. Maybe ask more about these murders. But that was for tomorrow. Now.. now was the time of getting back to the room that was being paid for her, and sleep.. maybe something small to eat too. She barely had any of her snacks, she was not about to even touch whatever unhealthy crap they served there, that she packed because of how hectic things got.

Yeah that sounded good. A light meal than some sleep. Tomorrow she would be fresh. And with her fresh mind she would come up with a strategy to deal with those two. Though she had to ask… why didn't Freddy go active? And what was behind that curtain in, what did the camera say it was? Pirate cove? What was there? And what was a pirate? And what were those things really? She would find out more tomorrow. After all.. how important could that be?


	2. night 2: learning new things

She couldn't believe how popular this place was. It was crowded throughout the building. True it was peak hours, but it was so different from last night when everything was so dark and empty. Now, now kids ran around and played little games or chatted while they ate ramen. Some wondered over to pirate cove to stare forlornly at the closed curtains Others stood in front of the stage where the bear, rabbit, and chicken would sing and move in what she could only guess was some kind of dance. The kids loved those things it would seem.

She stared at those… things. The stage they were on was very open and there was indeed no one there. Nor was there the light shine of chakra threads. They were indeed moving on their own. Though she couldn't explain the fact that voices were coming out of them. Then again she received a pre-recorded message and speaker systems existed… Alright that was explained. They were also on a schedule so the recorded lines probably were as well, which was why they didn't say anything last night. Which was good.

That didn't fully explain how they moved though, or how these slightly jerky things somehow became ninja stealthy. Then again it was unlikely anyone could explain that last part. Also… what WAS behind that curtain? Maybe a quick peek.

"Sakura? what are you doing here? Not trying to quit are you?" The voice of her guide from yesterday called. One of the day watches. Damn she was just about to open the curtain a bit.

"Nope, not that I could if I wanted to. Contracts and all that." She said planting a friendly smile onto her lips as she turned around. Oh well, maybe this was a good time to get some more information. "Actually I had some questions about the… animatronics I think I heard them being called? What does that mean? And, and.. how do they move?"

Her guide sighed then smiled. "Some of your questions are likely above my pay grade, but I will answer what I can. Come on, I could use a bit of a break. I'll tell you over ramen."

She smiled gratefully to him and followed. She wasn't a big fan of Ramen but it couldn't hurt to have a bowl, if only to be polite.

* * *

><p>That had been very enjoyable and informative. The ramen here wasn't bad, not as good as home but still not bad, and the watchman was able to answer a fair amount of her questions.<p>

An animatronic was a puppet that was made of metal and had a motor of some sort that allowed it to activate and move on its own. It was fascinating really. However as far as he was concerned the basic movements that the animals did on the stage was about what they could do. Though they had apparently walked the halls before… or could have. He had been vague then. She didn't pursue the subject since it didn't seem important at the time. Though he had also told her how they were able to talk. She had been right. Prerecorded messages and a time switch. Probably a bit more complicated than that, but it was good to know that a guess was pretty much right.

Turns out that there was also a fourth character that had been decommissioned. Thus the out of order. The thing was not about to wander around anytime soon. However the conversation had also brought up the fact that outside food was prohibited… so if she got hungry she needed to get something from the kitchen, and they would pay attention for her to grab something before shift. Thus why she now had a to go box full of rice balls on the desk. She needed at least one hand to work the screen, lights, and doors. That and she didn't want Naruto's ramen heavy diet. The food wasn't bad, but it also wasn't healthy to have a lot of it.

The phone rang as she started to settle in. Oh? Did the guy from last night have more warnings for her?

"Uhh, Hello? Hello? Uh, well, if you're hearing this and you made it to day two, uh, congrats!" _Yay me._ "I-I won't talk quite as long this time since Freddy and his friends tend to become more active as the week progresses." _WHAT!_ "Uhh, it might be a good idea to peek at those cameras while I talk just to make sure everyone's in their proper place. You know…" _Oh crap!_

Her hand jerked toward the screen, but she stilled it and took a breath. That was alright. She had a plan. She wouldn't rely on the screen. She would concentrate and calm down and listen at the halls and use the lights. She might check the screen from time to time to check power and see if anyone was stupid enough to try and break in, but for the most part she would save power by using her senses. They were quiet but she was a trained ninja.

"Uh... Interestingly enough, the bear himself doesn't come off stage very often. I heard he becomes a lot more active in the dark though, so, hey, I guess that's one more reason not to run out of power, right?" _Yes it was. Want to deal with as few of them as possible._ "I-I also want to emphasize the importance of using your door lights. There are blind spots in your camera views, and those blind spots happen to be right outside of your doors." _Figured that out already actually. But thank you._ "So if-if you can't find something, or someone, on your cameras, be sure to check the door lights. Uh, you might only have a few seconds to react…" _More than enough time._ "Uh, not that you would be in any danger, of course. I'm not implying that." _Was he simply trying to sound reassuring? _"Also, check on the curtain in Pirate Cove from time to time." _Why? It's decommissioned_. "The character in there seems unique in that he becomes more active if the cameras remain off for long periods of time." _What?_ I guess he doesn't like being watched. I don't know. Anyway, I'm sure you have everything under control! Uh, talk to you soon."

Wait. Did that mean…? Oh no. She snatched up the screen and flipped over to pirate cove. The curtain was open and a… fox looking.. thing was staring out almost directly at the camera. The blood cooled in her veins. She stared at that face peeking out. than she shook herself out of her trance, and flipped over to the show stage. She froze again. Both the bunny and chicken were gone. She quickly cycled through the cameras and found them and set down the screen.

Her heart was pounding. She had thought it would be easy. Just listen for the two annoying ones and react accordingly. No, no it couldn't be that easy. Now one of their friends was going to join in on the fun. Damn it. She had to use the screen now. If only to watch this new arrival and come up with a new plan.

She reached out and grabbed a rice ball. She took a deep breath then a bite. She needed to calm down. She swallowed then looked at pirate cove again. No change. Good. She put down the screen and sent chakra to her ears. She picked up nothing from either hall. Also good. Well just incase she checked both lights and found nothing. Only then did she let out a sigh of relief.

Alright, just have to keep this up. Shouldn't be too hard. Just use the tablet to check on the... fox? Was that what it was? And use her ears and lights for the other two… shouldn't be too hard. Yeah, she could do that. Just do things fast and efficient. With her control she could keep a small amount of chakra going to her ears to improve her hearing all night. Just enough to pick up the soft signs of their quiet footfalls. That way she would hear them approach down the hallway. That would save battery power to check on the fox really fast, and for the lights to make sure they were there or not incase she got distracted. Not to mention the doors. She was a little behind on the power usage right now, but she could make up for that right? Yeah. No biggie.

It was three thirty and things were going smoothly. She only had to close each door once at this point. The animals may be quiet but they weren't quite quiet enough. Though she had to be careful… those doors were loud. Covered up sound a little too well for her taste. She picked up the screen and took a quick peek at the fox and the rest of the screen. The fox had moved to the shadows in front of the curtains almost an hour ago. He seemed to be studying the camera. Waiting. Oh and no one had broken in… which was expected. A quick peek at the power showed she had 48% left. She lowered the screen and leaned back in her chair and reached out for another rice ball. They weren't bad and were far better than nothing.

This wasn't so bad anymore. Yes she was still paranoid. Yeah the things still could come out and try to kill her. However she was in her element. She knew what to do. She had a good plan that was working quite well it would appear. If she could keep this up for the next few days than she would be home free. Even IF they upped their game she was sure she could keep up. She finished the little morsel and picked up the screen again. Time for another fox update. Heh just checking one room really quickly was good for saving power.

She brought up pirate cave and nearly dropped the screen. The fox was gone. Well it wasn't too bad. They all wandered… she flipped through the cameras quickly to find it. She spotted it in the west all. It was running straight for her. Now she really did drop the screen. That was when her chakra powered ears picked the sounds up. Heavy footfalls going at crazy speeds. Not ninja speeds, but certainly close. With reflexes honed from training she slapped the door release causing the door to close with a clunk.

The footsteps got louder. Then a screech rang out. The foot falls stopped and seemed to change to more of a skidding sound. Than something heavy and big collided with the door hard and fast. She jumped and stared at the door. There was silence for several seconds before rapid footfalls started up again. This time they were going away from the door.

Sakura gulped and took several deep breathes before opening the door and checking the lights. Okay he was really gone. Wait she was getting deja vu. She quickly whirled around and hit the door light on the other side... Nothing. Oh… well… good. She leaned down and picked up the screen and check on the fox. It was back behind the curtain, but it was open. She couldn't help but think he looked… disappointed. No must just be her mind playing tricks on her. From the sudden surprise. Yeah she really had to be sure to keep an eye on that fox. He just had to be loud and different from all the rest. Too bad he wasn't blonde.

She lowered the screen suddenly when she heard a sound she really didn't want to hear. Slow quiet footfalls. Coming down the hallway. From both sides. They were going for a pincer. They hadn't come down at the same time before. Usually it was one than the other. Could be coincidence, but she didn't care. She waited for the footsteps to stop directly in front of the doors before slamming them both down without checking the lights first.

She swallowing a lump that was in her throat as she checked pirate cove's cam. Okay he hadn't moved. But DAMN both doors took a lot of power. She still had a surplus but…

She grabbed the bottle of water she had with her and took a long swallow. Than she reached for a riceball and found the box empty. Really? Last night she didn't even touch her food and tonight she just devoured her stores? Well thats why she smuggled in the snacks anyway but…

She heard the bunny leave. The bunny seemed to always come from the left. She opened the door and checked the light. Nothing good… She checked the light on her right. Nope chicken still staring at her. She let go of the light. She looked at the empty rice ball box and frowned. It must have been the stress. The stress and the fact that she had more time than last night to eat. More time to think about eating since she wasn't panicked. Maybe she should get a bigger box next time.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a storage full of all kinds of things the company wouldn't want her having in the building. Things for emergencies like explosive tags, kunai, ninja wire, soldier pills, and snacks. It was the latter was going to pull out. For some reason this was really hungry work. As she extract a bag of nuts she checked pirate cove again. Didn't want the fox bum rushing again. She found herself blinking in surprise.

Was the fox… singing? Actually singing? But he was decommissioned. His dialogue shouldn't even be on a timer. Let alone timed to play this late. Then again he shouldn't be on at all but… Sure it wasn't an impressive song… more of an off tune ditty but... She took a glance at her power and swore as she turned and checked to see if that chicken was there. it wasn't so she opened the door. Staring at the impromptu music show with the door down had eaten up a bit of power. Ugh, she was really cutting into her reserve. But that was why she had a reserve. For things like this. Still that had been surprising. She might want to ask about that. However before that she would have to survive the night, and to do that she would have to make sure she properly rationed her power. Which shouldn't be hard. She had a good plan that seemed reliable at this point.

By the time her shift ended she still had 10% power left and foxy hadn't made a second run for her. The rabbit and chicken still made visits , but she could easily hear them. It would seem her newest tactic would indeed be her best bet. Just had to refine and stick to it for the rest of the week. Try not to be distracted. Not that it seemed to matter if she was her not. Still had plenty of power. Not plenty of food though. That was going to be a problem. Might have to make sure she had plenty of water too. Less panicking but high stress would probably continue to lead to more hunger and thirst. Not to mention it was rather warm in that back room. Those were thoughts for tomorrow. Now was time to get to bed.


	3. Night 3: answering calls

Sakura watched the animatronics as they danced and sang. Even though she was seeing it… She still couldn't believe it. At the moment all three moved with jerky movements. There was a slight noise as their internal parts squeaked with every move. Their movements seemed very limited. Yet she knew that they could do more. She knew that they could be so much quieter, and while she never saw them move through the halls, she was sure they were far more smooth with their motions then this. Not to mention the fox, which was suppose to not be moving at all was able to sing and RUN easily enough.

If she didn't know any better she would think that they were hiding their potentials. But from who? And why? In fact how could they? They weren't alive…. right? No, she was not going to touch that question. But she did have to ask… why did they do what they did? The fox ran, the rabbit stuck to the left and the supply closet, the chicken liked going into the kitchen, and the bear was constantly staying in the back. Why? It had to be something in their programming or whatever they called it. They were each supposed to have a personality of sorts. Maybe she should take the time to learn them. Maybe it would be helpful later.

She thought about going to the day watchman that had been her guide. After all he had helped her quite a bit by now. However she just felt that he wouldn't be able to help her a lot on this topic. Yeah he, for the most part, told her about how they worked. But he didn't seem the type to care about the personalities. About WHO they were suppose to be.

Instead she was going to have to turn to the only other real choice. The customers. Both child and adult alike. She looked around at the, once again, packed ramen palace. It might take awhile, but she had plenty of time before her shift. Though she had to remember to also pick up an extra large order of rice balls.

Well that had been informative. Very informative. She had been successful in learning more about the personas of her metal opponents. As well as a bit more.

First off it would seem that aside from singing songs and telling tales of his pirating days, turns out a pirate was like a bandit that used boats instead of roads, the fox opened up all his shows by running from his spot in pirate cove to the dining area to the applause and cheers of the children. The reason he stopped? The parents. They felt like he was too creepy or scary for the children. The fact that he had several exposed metal parts didn't help. The irony was that the kids LOVED him. Exposed parts and all.

The others were far more obvious. The bunny was an advocate for safety and care. Mostly cleaning up messes, making sure instruments were in tune, and that the stage was clear. Those kinds of things. The chicken was a party girl. No it was seriously portrayed as a she. She liked to eat, sing, dance, and have a fun time. Those facts easily explained the routes they took, and why they stuck to certain rooms.

What was more was the bear. According to what she could gather, he was the leader of the band. He was also the announcer. He told people when the parties were and when one of the acts was about to start. If she didn't know that it was all programed she would have thought he coordinated all the acts and the schedules. That might explain why he hadn't come after her though. It wasn't his job to get her. Just make sure the others did. Or maybe, if the warning she got last night was true, get her to waste power so he could get her with ease.

On top of all that, there had been a second generation of these things. The current ones had actually been replaced by models that were more child friendly, cleaner, and had to ability to recognize criminals. As well as the ability to walk around. Turns out that the current ones had actually received an upgrade when the newer models and the location THEY starred in went under. It had included a vixen that was to replace the fox. It… hadn't been near as popular as the male counterpart. Poor thing had apparently be left at the mercy of merciless children to do with as they please. As of now the new models, all of them, were gone. At least she hoped that meant no where near the building because she did NOT want to deal with more killer machines.

She sat down with a sigh setting the large box of rice balls and 2 bottles of water on the desk and picking up the screen. A quick check showed that nothing had moved yet. She sighed lightly as she leaned back in the chair. It was time to get through her third night. Shouldn't be too hard. She had a working plan. Sure it would only be the second night she had used it but unless something big changed it should still work. Thinking of change unless she missed her guess the phone should ring right about…

The phone started to go off. There we go.

''Hello, hello? Hey you're doing great! Most people don't last this long." _Realy? It hasn't been THAT bad._ "I mean, you know, they usually move on to other things by now. I'm not implying that they died. Th-th-that's not what I meant." _Uh huh. Sure it's not._ "Uh, anyway I better not take up too much of your time. Things start getting real tonight." _Bring it._

"Uh... Hey, listen, I had an idea: if you happen to get caught and want to avoid getting stuffed into a Freddy suit, uhh, try playing dead! You know, go limp. Then there's a chance that, uh, maybe they'll think that you're an empty costume instead. Then again if they think you're an empty costume, they might try to... stuff a metal skeleton into you. I wonder how that would work. Yeah, never mind, scratch that. It's best just not to get caught.

Um... Ok, I'll leave you to it. See you on the flip side."

She was not sure how to feel about that last part. On the one hand it sounded like bad advice that wouldn't change her situation much. Then again. The way he said it made it sound like he tried it before. Successfully if he was still breathing. Those things did seem to go away when it became six. So maybe… it would buy her precious seconds or minutes. Then again… maybe it was best to just not to get caught.

She gave another sigh and checked on her charges. The fox was still behind the curtains. Good. The bunny and the chicken were already out and about. Well that was expected. Though the bear was once again staying put and staring at the camera. Wait… what?

She blinked and looked back at the screen. Yep. It was staring directly at the camera. Well that was creepy. She flipped back to the pirate and then set down the screen. Chakra already being sent to her ears. She wasn't about to stare at something strange again. That was a waste of power. And she couldn't do that. Not anymore. They wouldn't catch her off guard like that. She reached out and grabbed a rice ball. It was going to be a long night. But she was ready.

As she took a bite she heard movement to her right. They were already making their moves? Huh. She looked down at the screen as she listened to see if the chicken was going to be an actual threat or not. The fox wasn't feeling all that excited though. In fact he wa still behind his curtains. She nodded to herself and lowered the screen. She took a moment to take another mouthful of rice before she closed the door on her right, separating herself and the robotic chicken that stood just outside of it. Than she took a water bottle, opened it, and took a long swallow. This was getting easy. What could possibly go wrong now?

* * *

><p>Sakura crossed her legs and squeezed as she took another peek at the screen. That damn fox was standing there in the shadows. Just waiting. It was four in the morning, and something was going wrong. She still had plenty of rice balls and water. However the fact that she had been consuming both in larger quantities than yesterday led to her problem. She really needed to go to the bathroom and she doubted she could last two hours. She set down the screen, and attempted to focus on something other than her bladder.<p>

She squeezed her thighs again and took slow deep breaths. It wasn't really working. The fox had rushed her once earlier, and was prepping for the next run already. The other two had also been quite active coming to her door several times. However in the last thirty minutes or so, there had been no activity. They didn't seem to be coming close. That upped her stress a bit as the anticipation built. That building was NOT good for her bladder which already wanted attention from all the water she had been drinking to fight off the heat and wash down all those rice balls.

She didn't want to go while something was waiting for her, like the fox, because she didn't want to risk coming back to find an ambush. She also did not want to leave with something right outside the room. The second wasn't seeming to be a problem, but the first might be. Then again the fox didn't stick around at all… so it could come in, see she wasn't there, then leave to look for her. She took another breath. She couldn't wait. She would just have to take that risk.

With another breathe and slow movements she stood from her chair. Then she put chakra into her feet and walked up the wall onto the ceiling, crouching down to stick close to it. Oh that played hell on her bladder but also somewhat relieved the pressure. It was probably dangerous to leave the safety of the security room but hopefully being on the ceiling would mitigate the risk. She all but crawled along the upside down surface, moving slow enough to be able to watch out for any lurkers in the hall. Even as her body urged her to speed up.

As it was, she ran into no trouble, and was easily able to drop from her perch and get into the bathroom. She was in such a rush to get into a stall that she didn't even think about sealing the door or a way to keep it closed just in case something wanted to come in after her. It didn't occur to her until several minutes later after she had finished her business, calmed down, washed her hands, and freshened up a bit. Only than did she look at the bathroom door and curse herself. Oh well it was far too late to worry about it now. If they were nearby they would obviously know where she was now.

She shook her head and started up the wall next to the door making sure to take hold of the handle and start opening the door on her way up. WHen she got to the ceiling she made sure to open it wide from her grip on the top of the door and slipped through. She let the door close itself as she started down the hall at a fast crawl with both her eyes and ears on standby for any sign of trouble.

It was the barest of whispers that caught her attention. The softest of noises like a leaf falling upon the grass several yards away. However the noise sounded much closer than that. She blinked to herself thinking that she might have imagined it, but every instinct told her to look and double check. So she turned slightly and looked over her shoulder.

She didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just the dark hallway and the restroom area. Nothing that could have made a noise or startled her. She was about to turn around and continue on her way again when her instincts picked up something that her brain didn't. Two pinpricks of light in the darkness. Almost dead center in the hallway. Far too high up to have a logical source. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness as she stared at those pinpricks trying to figure out what could be the source. As she stared an outline formed within the darkness. A large outline. A familiar shape. If she wasn't upside down she was sure all the blood and color would drain from her face. It was the bear. The bear was out and several feet from her. And she almost didn't hear it coming even with chakra enhanced hearing.

Then a jingle started playing and it began walking toward her.

She immediately dropped from the ceiling and ran for all she was worth. Using all her training, and sending chakra to her legs to move at speeds that a normal civilian couldn't hope to achieve. She quickly arrived at the door and looked over her shoulder to check on her pursuer before entering safety. SHe could still make out the dark outline of the bear as it made a steady pace towards her, much faster than she thought it could. It wasn't that it was moving QUICKLY just that it was eating up a lot distance. Than she remember just how big the thing was. Which meant that not only did it have a long stride but a long reach.

She quickly slide through the doorway and slammed the button for the door to shut behind her. WIth a sigh of relief she pressed her back against the thick slab of metal and let her knees collapse under her as she started to pant. She was in no way exhausted or fatigued though. She wasn't anywhere near THAT out of shape. Not anymore.

No this was out of stress and a little fear. All her plans, all her preparations, and all her precautions had meant nothing just moments ago. Despite knowing what to look and listen for. Despite thinking she knew what to expect… Every time she thought she had the hang of things they threw the next shuriken in an arc.

She took several minutes to settle her thoughts. No it was alright. So the bear was extra quiet that was alright. just a bit more chakra. Its not like to would be a major drain, just a pain . Especially since the doors were already loud. But that would be no real problem. As it was, she had already started doing so and was sure she heard it walk away. She slowly got to her feet and hit the light button and saw no shadow or image in the window. Sighing again she opened the door and double checked. Nothing, good. Then why did something feel wrong? Like she was forgetting some-

In a panic she whirled around and hit the light button on the left side. Clear. She picked up the screen and went over to pirate cove. The curtains were… closed? Huh. And the fox was singing a rather depressed ditty. Not so much sad as dejected. If she didn't know any better she would think it was sad that when it ran in here she wasn't around. Then again if it really wanted to kill her…

She shook her head and sank into her chair. God she needed a rice ball right now. She took a deep breath through her nose and started leaning over to grab one of her remaining morsels only to freeze as a savory, warm, and salty scent hit her nose. Her eyes turned to where here riceballs should have been. Only to find something else in their place.

How had a bowl of steaming ramen gotten on her desk, and where were her rice balls? How did this happen? The only ones that were suppose to be here with her were the animatronics. And while she had seen them move and was sure they could do a lot… getting a bowl of ramen from the kitchen and placing it on the desk without any mess did not seem like one of those things. Not to mention she hadn't been gone that long. There was no way they could have shown up here, seen she was gone, decide to change her food, gone to the kitchen, prepared or at least reheated said food, and then brought it back here before taking away what was already on the desk before she returned. There was no way. Nor was there a reason. WHY would they do it? It made no sense. Unless they were much smarter then she gave them credit and they were trying to set her up. Ramen needed two hands, and to protect herself she needed at least one. Not to mention you had to give ramen your full attention or it would get everywhere and burn you. Was that it? Was this a trap? Or was she simply over thinking things?

Her stomach growled slightly. How wa she even hungry right now? She looked at the time and groaned. She still had around an hour and a half. She groaned again, made sure she had enough chakra going to her ears, got another fox update, and then picked up the owl of ramen to start working through it. She was hungry and you shouldn't waste resources.

As it was by the time she clocked out, her nerves were frayed despite how behaved her charges had been. Seriously had barely walked down the halls, the fox had barely peeked out his curtain, and that bear hadn't even come close to her again. or at least she didn't hear him come close. But she would have though… right? Ugh! She was going to have to be extra careful. Time things, hear closely, and maybe pay attention to cameras a bit more when it came to that blasted bear. No, no she had to calm down. It was alright. She had the power to spare to do that. She was doing very well in that department. Though she might want to rethink her water intake. Yeah. Don't need a repeat of tonight. Definitely don't want a repeat, or worse. She shuddered as she made her way to her hotel room. She just had to try harder. But it was okay. She would stay on top. Nothing worse could happen. She had this.

Right?


	4. Night 4: raising stakes

Sakura cursed under her breath as she hurried into the security office, and set her box of rice balls down as well as some water. She looked at the clock on the desk and gave a sigh of relief. Then let another choice curse.

That stupid bear had nearly made her she had gotten back to the apartment she hadn't been able to get to sleep, and when she finally did, it was a fitful sleep that still had her sleeping in. On top of all that her thoughts had constantly circled around the bear and its ninja like stealth. She went over several scenarios and back-up plans, just trying to come up with something that could neutralize the damn thing. She was sure she had a few things, but in the process of coming up with them she had nearly been late to get to work. Nearly.

Not that it really mattered to her. It was a shitty job that was paying a whole lot less then it should. No the reason she was upset, was because she REALLY didn't want to get caught out in the halls in the dark again. Once had been enough thank you.

God her nerves were already frayed. She just needed to calm down. Take a few breathes. She had several minutes bef-

She nearly jumped out of her chair and onto the floor when the phone went off.

"Hello, hello? Hey! Hey, wow, day four. I knew you could do it." _Well thank you._ "Uh, hey, listen, I may not be around to send you a message tomorrow." _What was he talking about? And what was that noise? it sounded like… banging?_ "It's-It's been a bad night here for me. Um, I-I'm kinda glad that I recorded my messages for you uh, when I did." _Wait… no. NO! You can't be serious._

"Uh, hey, do me a favor. Maybe sometime, uh, you could check inside those suits in the back room? I'm gonna to try to hold out until someone checks. Maybe it won't be so bad. Uh, I-I-I-I always wondered what was in all those empty heads back there. You know... oh, no -"

Near the end… that jingle… that song that the bear played… could be heard. Then an unearthly screech. Then static… then the phone turned off. During it all… the entire time, as she listened to a man's final moments. Heard his last request she sat there in numbed silence. Her mind couldn't process the information for several. And when it finally did, the panic set in.

They had gotten him. A man that had known their tricks, and survived them for far longer than she had. They had gotten him. They had persisted. They had learned. They had won. What could she do? What could she honestly do against all of them, that the guy on the phone couldn't? Every step she took was countered. She was doomed. DOOMED!

She slapped herself hard. Then took a calming breath. No, she couldn't panic. She had to calm down. she had contingencies. She had plans. They couldn't counter everything. She had to calm down… and check the cameras.

With another curse she picked up the handheld screen and quickly checked on pirate cove. Only to have the fox peering from behind the curtains already. Next was backstage which had only freddy staring right back at her. As if telling her she was next. They had already taken care of one night guard. They would now take care of number two.

No. She wouldn't let them. She glared at the bear then set down the screen. Her ears already supercharged. She could hear movement down the hall, but it didn't get closer. She calmed down further. She took a rice ball into her hand and stared at it. With but a thought she made it float above her palm with chakra alone. Then with another thought she got it to start spinning like one would a leaf in the academy. If she could do something like this, she could do anything. She just had to calm down, and stay calm.

* * *

><p>She was feeling better by two o'clock. Everything had settled into the same groove as the last few night. She didn't check the backroom for when the bear left. She didn't feel she had to. If he came she would hear him. She was certain of that. As it was the fox was standing in the shadows, and the bunny and chicken had taken their chances a few times now. But it was alright. Her ears had done the trick. They would continue to do so. Of this she was certain.<p>

Then she heard it. The softest of whispers. Quiet foot falls that betrayed nothing. The bear was coming. And she heard him. She smiled as she turned to her right. He couldn't sneak up on her. She had him. He would be locked out like the others. Then the sound ceased. Some distance down the hall she was sure. What was he going to do?

Suddenly that stupid jingle started to play. She winced as the sound assaulted her ears. Why would he do that? He had great stealth going for him. Why would he ruin that with such needless music. She shook her head as she stared at the door for half a minute. Then shrugged and turned back to her desk. At least it would be easier to hear him coming. She did a quick check on the pirate. Then she frowned.

"Okay, he really needs to turn that down. Its so loud I can't… hear myself… oh no."

A dreadful realization hit her. Hoping she was wrong she quickly turned to her right and hit the light button… and stared at the chicken who stood in the doorway.

She slammed the door shut.

She turned left, and checked the door light. The bunny stared down at her.

She slammed that door shut too.

She leaned back into her chair doing her best not to hyperventilate. Her hearing, her biggest advantage, had been neutralized. She had no contingencies for this. She took the chakra out of her ears. It was useless now.

Now it all made sense. Why he stayed back. Why the bear stayed on stage. He was like Kakashi had been for team seven. He was the jonin while the others were his genin or chunin team. They went out and attempted to get her, while he watched. Learned her habits, and then made moves to take advantage of those habits.

She wasn't facing off against old animatronics. She was against an experienced team that knew exactly how to coordinate their assaults. She felt panic rise up again. She was going to have to rely on her old methods again. Use the cameras to try and predict their movements. It was an inefficient method, but it looked to be all she had.

A loud bang to her left threw her out of her panicked thoughts. The fox had made her move. Oh god how long had she had both doors down? She quickly checked the lights and then opened the doors. Another quick check of the lights. Then a look at pirate cove and her power.

Oh no, forty percent. No thirty-eight. And it was… three. Crap. was she going to make it? She did a quick camera sweep and located each of the animatronics. That jingle was still playing in the background. Could she make it through the night? Would thirty-eight percent be enough?

It was going to have to be.

* * *

><p>Sakura wiped sweat from her brow… and reached for a rice ball on instinct. Only to be reminded that she ran out some time ago. She didn't even swear this time.. just returned her attention to the screen in front of her. Ten minutes left. three percent power. She quickly scanned the cameras. They weren't near her. The fox was behind his curtains.<p>

Two percent power.

She set down the screen and only than realized that the music had stopped. She tentatively put chakra back into her ears. She heard nothing. She gulped and checked the camera's again.

One percent power.

Was that a noise? She put the screen down and turned to her right. Her ears picked something up. Or did they? Was her mind playing tricks on her? She checked the door's light.

Than everything went dark.

Zero percent power.

Her eyes went wide. How much time was left? Where were the animatronics? Her mind whipped itself into a panic. All her plans, all her precautions had been for naught. In desperation she did the only thing she could think of.

She closed her eyes and went limp in her chair. She did her best to control her breathing so that her chest moved as little as possible. She pumped chakra into her ear to try and pinpoint any movement coming her way. She had to buy herself time. Precious minutes. precious seconds. They always left her alone at six on the dot. She just hoped it would stay the same.

She didn't know how long she stayed like that. In the dark. In the silence. However, eventually she heard it. The sound that made her blood turn to ice water. The gentle soft whisper of foot falls. Slow, steady, and meaningful. They stopped at the door. A soft, gentle whirring told her that some part of it, perhaps the head, was moving. That stopped soon as well. Quiet. it all became quiet again. She struggled to keep her breathing even and small.

The jingle starting playing and she nearly jumped and screamed. However she kept it under control. It was perhaps testing her. Once the bear saw she wasn't moving, it might go away. Even if it went to get a metal skeleton, that would take time. Time she desperately needed.

The song continued. Then… the alarm went off. the music abruptly stopped. Seriously, what company decided that children cheering was a good alarm sound for when the shift was over? She decided not to question that tonight.

She opened her eyes. She listened hard. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. Nothing was there. She was safe. She made it. She let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding. She made. By god. She made it through another night.


	5. Night 5: surprises

Sakura needed answers. Answers that up till this point she had naively thought were unimportant. She needed to know more about those murders that people talk about. More about this places past. She needed to know why this place closed so many times in the past. Most importantly she needed to know what happened to the guy that had left all those phone messages. She need to see for herself what had happened to him. Not to report it. After all it didn't matter if she did or not. They would still wait. No she was doing this for him. Because he had wanted someone to find him.

She even had an idea of where to check first. That is if she was right in thinking that these things had a cruel sense of humor. Which she was very sure about. Which was why she was sneaking into Pirate cove and going behind the curtains… And NOT screaming in terror when she comes face to face with the fox. Should have saw that coming. Really really should have.

It was still daytime hours though, so it wasn't active. Which was good. Very good. Now just go around to the back of it. Now look for… there we go. Open it up and….. Oh god. There really was a body in here. Oh god, and according to the look of the blood, and what little was identifiable… the person in here has been dead for less than 24 hours. This was him. This was the guy. She had been right.

It was only because she had been training under Tsunade that she was able to close up the suit and get out of there. It was only because she had been Tsunade's apprentice for a year that she had been able to walk through the restaurant with a straight face. It had only been because she had been in thermedic program for two years that she had been able to walk into the bathroom, make it to a stall, close the door, lock it, and kneel in front of the toilet before she emptied her stomach of its contents.

It was several terrible minutes before she could even think of rising from her knees and flushing the toilet. Then it was to the sink to attempt to rinse as much of the taste of vomit from her mouth as possible. That had been a terrible sight. The body twisted, and the head completely turned to paste. She could only hope it had been quick. Otherwise… She shuddered at the thought. She had to be more careful. That could have been her last night. And could be her tonight. She leaned heavily onto the sink. She.. she couldn't think like that. That line of thought would lead her to a self-fulfilling prophecy ending in her death.

She steadied herself and turned toward the door. She needed to get back out there. She had to learn as much of the truth as she could. Maybe it wouldn't help anything, but she just had to know. Someone had to.

* * *

><p>Sakura stumbled into the office and practically dropped her box of rice balls and bottle of water onto the desk before collapsing into the chair. She was emotionally exhausted, mentally tired, and jumpy. She was in no shape to be here. But here she was…. Her mind still spinning from the grim truth that she had learned<p>

Children. It all revolved around children. Dead children.

Apparently in the first location with the original animatronics, a man used a suit to kill five children and shove their bodies into suits. If that wasn't bad enough, the culprit, it was theorized to be the same person, struck again when the second generation of robots came out. They somehow killed more kids despite the upped security. This was then followed by the infamous bite incident. One of the animatronics, it was long forgotten which one, bit a guard and severed their frontal lobe. Which lead to now. That didn't quite explain why they attacked guards though… except… there was a little nugget that she had been told. Near the end of the second gen's life, when they were all allowed to roam the halls in the daytime… They had started to give wary stares to the adults, while still being happy around the children. And all the children had been killed at night… So… Did they think…

The phone rang. The phone actually rang. But that was impossible. The guy dead. She had seen his mangled body. He couldn't have…

No words came over the phones speakers. Only garbled up nonsense. That only made it worse. The machines had not only gotten him, but had also set up a recording. They.. They…. Oh god the cameras!

She picked up the screen, Fox was peeking out. And…They were all gone from the back room. Panic set in as she started flipping through cameras. She found the bunny and the chicken when that damn melody started playing. She was so taken by surprise that she had dropped the screen into her lap, and turned toward the door on her right. The bear was already prepared.

She gulped down the lump in her throat and was about to turn back forward… when something caught her eye. She turned further to her right, and screamed. There standing before her was a slouched over yellowish colored bear. Its mouth hanging open, and eyeless sockets staring deep into her soul.

In desperation she lifted the screen in front of her face hoping to use it to fend off any assaults. Assaults that never came. She slowly lowered the little device only to see an empty room in front of her. She let out a sigh of relief, only to stiffen as pure instinct had her check the door lights on her right, then a panicked hand hit the door release sealing away the chicken from her person. A quick check on her left showed that it was clear.

With a shaky hand she reached for what was quickly becoming her comfort food. What had been that thing? That golden bear. How had it gotten in here? Why did it leave? What was going on?

Great, just great. Just what she DIDN'T need. Another piece of the giant puzzle. Another thing to watch out for. She took a bite of her food, and chewed slowly as she checked the door lights on both sides before letting the door on the right go up.

She swallowed as she checked the screen again. It didn't matter. She had to remain vigilant. She had to make it through this. They couldn't get her. She had far too much she had to do. She refused to die in a ramen palace meant for kids.

* * *

><p>It was three o'clock. Her nerves her frayed. Her riceballs and water were nearly gone. And she discovered that she REALLY hated the cameras.<p>

They were not very efficient when it came to power use. Not only that, but they gave her a sense of powerlessness and helplessness. She could see where her queries were, but couldn't stop them. Couldn't predict them. It was hard to tell sometimes if the reason she couldn't find something was because she missed it in her mad dash through the screens to save power, or because that particular something was right outside her door.

Thinking of missing something, that strange bear hadn't shown again. There was no sign of it. In fact there was no sign that it had ever truly existed. It made no sense. None at all. However her instinct told her to not worry about it. The same instincts that have served her a whole lot better than the damn cameras. It was her instincts that had helped her turn on the lights and hit the door buttons at the right times.

It was those same instincts that started screaming at her right now. She pushed the light button with a practiced motion, and shaky fingers. Only for nothing to happen. She blanched. She pushed the button again. Nothing. She hit the button. Still nothing.

No. No. NO! why wasn't the light working? Her panic started rise. It didn't matter, worry about that later, close the door now! She slammed her palm into the door button. Only for it to not work as well. That was when her panic skyrocketed.

No, no, no, nonononononononono! She flew out of her chair and started to back away from the open doorway. Her eyes started to make out a familiar silhouette of the chicken in the dark hallway. It had somehow sabotaged the door. She didn't know how, but it had. She whined as she took another step back, and ran into something very solid back first.

It took her terrified mind several seconds to realize that judging by her position she was standing in front of the left doorway, and the thing she was pressing against was neither wall, nor door.

She looked down in time to see a large purple arm wrap around her torso from behind her.


	6. epilogue: game over

Tsunade sighed for the umptenth time while reading the reports from that nightmare of a C-rank. It was highly depressing to read. Not for the first time since she started, the Godaime Hokage wished she could have some sake. And by some she meant several bottles she could gulp down back to back.

Murdered children. Hunted guards. Killer animatronic... things. Convoluted rumors and stories. A company that didn't seem to care about anything so long as it stayed afloat. The last mission had been a mess. To make things worse… she hadn't just sent one of her ninja to spend time in that hell hole. She had sent a girl she had started to get attached to there. A girl that hadn't wanted to go and had been pretty much forced to take the position. This information… it hadn't really been worth it.

...Sakura…

She shook her self from such thoughts. She couldn't think of that now. "Is this everything?"

"Yes, its all the information that could be gathered at this time." Her assistant stated. She was being very professional about it. Hiding how she felt most likely. Tsunade really hated this part of ninja life.

"You would think with this being major knowledge that the place would be shut down for good and the things melted into scrap." She growled.

"It really isn't their fault. They are just doing their jobs. Though I do admit the company should be shut down for their negligence."

"WHAT!? You would defend them even after-"

"Yes I would, because someone has to." Her student said cutting her off. She sighed and gave a sad little smile. "Teacher I understand how you feel. I really do. However, you need to understand that somethings are out of our control. Please read the last page of the report in its entirety. It will explain everything." She continued in a calming tone.

The slug summoner swallowed her anger. Once again she wished she could have many drinks of much needed sake. However her anger and eyes softened as she looked over the form of her second student before flipping to the final page of the reports. She took a deep breath and said, "Very well Sakura", before starting to read.

* * *

><p>Sakura didn't scream. It was probably more appropriate to say that she couldn't. Her mind was too numbed by the horror of what was happening. She also didn't struggle for the same reason. Not that she probably could if she had been in the right state of mind to. The over sized rabbit was holding her in what could be considered a bridal carry. Its large arm wrapped around her firmly keeping her arms and legs in place securely.<p>

Her mind wasn't on that however. Instead it was revolving around a single thought. This was how it all was going to end. Stuffed into a suit. Head turned to paste. Body forced to twist and bend in unnatural ways. Left to rot, with only the fact that she hasn't sent a letter or returned on time being clues that something happened to her.

All that training to be a medic would go to waste. She wouldn't be able to see her friends. Wouldn't be able to continue her friendly rivalry with Ino. Continue to learn under Tsunade. She would never get to greet Naruto after his training trip, or help him bring back Sasuke. Everything that she was going to do would end here. She was going to die. She was going to…

Be put into a chair in the dining area, and have a steaming bowl of ramen placed before her.

She stared at the bowl of food owlishly as her brain attempted to reboot. This couldn't right. This had to be some kind of trick. Her mind giving her something nice to think about before the final moments. Or maybe the ramen was poisoned so that she didn't squirm when they shoved her into her animal shaped tomb. Or maybe…

"Congrats little lady for winning four nights in a row. It was a great game." The voice of her host and greatest foe rang throughout the room dragging her out of her thoughts. That was an interesting phrasing. The fact that he wasn't suppose to talk barely registered. She turned her head towards the stage. There was the bear, the bunny, and the chicken in their usual spots. Instruments at hand. Well the bear had a mic, but that pretty much was his instrument.

Little lady. She heard the bear say that a few times during the day. He always called his audience small gents and little ladies. Of course that was because his audience was mostly… kids. Wait.

"To celebrate your achievement the band and me want to play you some songs while you eat a well deserved meal. However before that there is a someone who has been very eager to see you." The bear announced. Celebrate? But.. she was suppose to die when caught. He mentioned a game but…

The loud clanking sounds of heavy metal feet running echoed through the room. She quickly turned to see the large fox dashing towards her. She wanted to scream. However her horror quickly turned to confusion when the huge fox-like robot came to a sudden halt and took up what was probably supposed to be a very dashing pose.

Once again her brain attempted a reboot as it tried to digest the situation. What was going on? Oh wait the fox use to run out into the dining area in order to entertain the… chil… dren.

It clicked into place. Her hands started to work on automatic and started to clap. Despite the hanging jaw she was sure the fox would smile if it could. A sentiment that was reinforced as its tail started to move from to side.

"Yar, so we finally be meetin' lass." It said with a dramatic bow that brought a small smile to Sakura's lips despite herself. "Ye be right quick with that door lock. No doubt worried about leavin' yerself open to the greatest seafox to ever sail the seas." It continued standing up straight gesturing grandly with its hooked hand. "I not be surprised that me reputation precedes me. So as a reward for yer quick wits I shall spin ye one of my grandest tales while the landlubbing band warms up. Is that alright with you cap'tain?"

"Go right ahead, we will back you up." The bear answered.

"If you haven't gotten rusty." The bunny quipped.

"Arr, I'll show ye rusty. Just play yer strings."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh a little. This sealed it. It was like one of the day shows, only with the whole gang. Though she was sure the lines weren't anything like what was programed in them. Then again with everything else they could do, who said they couldn't reword phrases and use words banks to make new sentences? And she now knew why. They were treating her like a child. They saw her as a child.

Now normally she would be very upset at this. She was a ninja, and she was of the opinion that she was maturing into quite the beautiful woman. However, at this point she wasn't about to complain. If her theory that they were killing guards to protect children was right, they wouldn't purposely harm her for as long as they saw her as a child.

Following that logic she listened as the pirate spun a yarn around one of his fictional adventures as the others played appropriate music effects in the background. She couldn't help but laugh or widen her eyes in amazement as she ate her bowl of ramen. It was amazing to her how cohesive the group was. They showed a bit of coordination while trying to get her, but the way they played off each other ,and how on occasion one of the three on stage, primarily the bunny, would interrupt with some witty remark which just helped build up the story or play up the amusement factor of it all… It was less like seeing a group or puppets running through a programmed routine, and more like a group of friends just having fun.

When the tale was finished, the band started up its portion of her little party. By than the ramen was done and she was simply enjoying the surrealness of it all. It was all just so.. unreal. It made no sense and yet it was what was happening. So she decided if this was how it was going to be she might as well push the envelope.

She made eye contact with the foxy pirate who was saying dum's to the beat of the music. Then she put her arm on the table, elbow pressed into the wooden surface and arm up bent a forty-five degree angle. She wasn't sure if he would recognize the significance but was rewarded for her leap of faith. "So ye wish to challenge me lass? Very well, a challenge it is." If she didn't know any better she would have sworn there was a tone of genuine amusement in its voice. But there couldn't be. She wouldn't go that far.

It made its way to the spot opposite of her and move aside the chairs that were by no means meant to support its weight and set its arm in a position that mimicked hers. Its hand was a bit bigger than hers as they clasped tightly and stared each other down. For some reason staring into that one eye didn't creep her out near as much as she thought it would.

At some unheard signal they started. She couldn't hear it but she was sure the gizmos in his arm were whirring up. She put all the strength she could muster into her arm. All the knowledge she had in Tsunade's super strength technique. The arm barely moved. It made her frown. Sure she didn't have the technique all the way down yet, but it should be more then enough. And then the arm she was wrestling started to actually apply pressure.

It started small. A shaking in her arm as she struggled to keep what little progress she made. However it kept coming and she slowly lost ground. It wasn't a quick humiliating defeat. She had been able to stop her slow progression downward a couple of times before even more pressure was added, but in the end she had her hand brought down to the wooden surface with a solid thump.

"Arr, that be a good try lass. Ye be strong, but I be stronger." The sea-fox said with a flex of his arm. Sakura couldn't help but smile despite the fact she lost so easily.

"Thank you." She said, and the fox nodded straightening up. She looked back to the stage with the band giving it their all. It was a rather childish song. However It was full of energy. It was one of the best thing she had ever heard. She looked at her arm. There was a dull ache from the exertion. But it felt almost heavenly. The struggle, the effort. The empty bowl that had had held the best tasting bowl of ramen she had ever had in her life. Despite the situation being surreal. Despite feeling like this kind of thing should have been impossible. This was likely to be the best night of her life for a very very long time. For one very simple reason.

She was still alive.

However all good things come to an end. The songs had to stop. The pirate had to return to his cove with more dramatic posturing and many witty remarks. The band had to return back stage.. and she had to go back to the office. However before she left the dining area, she bowed to them. A polite thankful bow. To the thing that had shown her both mercy and a great time, and had instilled with in her a new sense of life and desire to grow even more.

* * *

><p>Tsunade looked up from the report. "Seriously? You are only alive because they thought you were a child?" That sounded far too good to be true<p>

"I know it sounds odd. But it's the only explanation that fits all the facts. Its also why I shouldn't go back to that post. At least not too many more times. I don't know how old is too old. I could appear too old in month or two because my body grew more to match my age."

"Who said anything about anyone going back there? I'm going to move to have that place shut down!" Tsunade declared. She was full of righteous rage. This kind of place.. it shouldn't be around.

"Teacher I know how you feel, but it won't do anything. Think about it." Sakura said in a calming tone. "The only word we have is my own that the animatronics are killing people. Who's going to believe that? Besides the customers as a whole already know that murders happened at that place or around it, and its STILL popular with kids and adults alike. All you trying to shut it down will do is make it so they will turn to a different village for help or go back to hiring average joes and janes from the street. Which will cost people their lives."

Tsunade grumbled to herself burying her head in her hands. She really didn't like it but what her apprentice wa saying made some sense. Damn it. "Then what do we do?"

"We kept sending ninja. The more skilled genin and younger looking chunin. They need to look like a child or young teen. As long as they look young enough, they will treat it as a game and reward who ever we send if they do well enough. We can even give the people we send a more thorough briefing, telling the the danger and most of the habits, without telling them that it is safe in the end. Then we can turn it into a test and training of sorts."

Tsunade stared at Sakura in shock. What she had just suggested… "Why would you advocate this?"

"Teacher, only two people have a chance of surviving that place, a VERY skilled adult that can either outsmart the machines, or keep up a transformation for days at a time with no one, not even the machines seeing them as an adult, or a younger ninja who will suffer far less penalties if caught."

"But shouldn't we at least let them know that there is a safety net?"

"Wouldn't be much of a test or training if they knew their were no consequences right? Besides… There is another reason. When I had been caught I had thought with my whole being I was about to meet my end." Sakura gave a small smile that baffled the female sannin. "However when they instead threw me a party, my whole world brightened. I had a second chance. I could get better. I could improve. I could live. That is why I want them to do it without knowledge of the safety net. That moment when you feel you are about to be swallowed up by death… it's a real eye opener. It will be good for the troublemakers and the skilled prodigies both to experience that feeling. In an environment that will ensure they live."

Tsunade was taken back by the passion in the pinkette's voice. "Sakura you're sounding like a fanatic. You sure you are okay?"

"Yes I am. I'm sorry it's just, I feel so relieved and grateful, and a little sorry for those things. Despite being so loved during the day… it feels almost like they have to hide how tey really are. I know it sounds crazy, but it is truly how it feels. Oh teacher how I wish you could see it and understand."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes in thought as she stared into space a bit."Very well. I will think about it. I promise nothing however."

Sakura bowed obviously noticing the dismissal. "I understand, thank you. I will head to the hospital to see if Shizune needs any help."

The blonde waved her off and waited for the younger girl to leave before she reached into her drawer and pulled out a bottle of sake and a cup. From what she read in the report and heard from Sakura, it seemed she would have to see it to believe. She poured a saucer of the potent liquor and downed it in a single smooth motion.

If that was so, then it was a good thing her age transformation didn't bother her at all no matter how long it was on. Because it looked like she was going to spend five nights at Freddy's.


End file.
